SEATTLE - Today Mayor Mike McGinn joined the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and community representatives to officially kick off the North 105th Street/North Northgate Way Improvement Project. The $9.2 million investment by the City of Seattle in pavement, sidewalks and signals will enhance 1.3 miles of road used for nearly 27,000 trips each day.

The SDOT project will completely repave North 105th and Northgate Way from Greenwood Avenue North to Corliss Avenue North, along with constructing new sidewalks and curb ramps, upgrading and adding street lights, and installing drainage improvements. The project will also upgrade traffic signals and install Intelligent Transportation System components, such as electronic message boards and traffic cameras, from Greenwood Avenue North to Lake City Way Northeast.

"Focusing on the basics like pavement and sidewalks is part of our Transportation Action Agenda," said McGinn. "This project will help improve conditions on one of the major arterials in North Seattle."

Demonstrating SDOT's ongoing commitment to environmentally conscious design and construction, this major infrastructure project features several environmentally friendly elements. Over 20 percent of the new sidewalks will be pervious, allowing rainwater to be absorbed into the ground instead of running off. Additionally, the project will make significant drainage upgrades and use environmentally friendly paving materials.

"The City of Seattle continues to invest in pavement improvement work, especially on important roadways like North 105th Street and Northgate Way," said SDOT Deputy Director Goran Sparrman. "We ask for drivers' patience as we rebuild the road. Once completed, this project will serve the neighborhood well for the next several decades."

Some 1.3 miles of heavily used roadway will be repaved, with the work divided into three phases. The first work will occur in the westernmost phase of the project, between Greenwood Avenue North and Aurora Avenue North. This phase is expected to take up to five months to complete, during which time eastbound traffic lanes will be closed, with traffic detoured to other streets, and westbound traffic largely be reduced to a single lane. The second phase of construction, between Aurora Avenue North and Meridian Avenue North, will follow with a similar traffic arrangement. The final phase, between Meridian Avenue North and Corliss Avenue North, will require lane restrictions, but no full closures for either eastbound or westbound traffic.

The project is funded by the voter-approved Bridging the Gap levy, a grant from the state Transportation Improvement Board, and through savings from the Spokane Street Viaduct Project. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2014. More information on the project can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pave_N105.htm.